(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrically fired firearm having a forwardly movable barrel, and which also has an electrically controlled firing device in which electric charges are generated electromagnetically within the weapon In one mode, the firearm includes a projectile magazine which includes magnets which serve to feed projectiles into the firing chamber.
(b) Discussion of the Prior Art
It is well known that the combination of ejectable cartridge cases of metal or paper which were used with breech-loaded guns earlier in history have experienced many difficulties in the making and shooting of firearms These difficulties include the extra weight and cost of the loads, the time involved between the firing of rounds within the firearm, the complicated structure required of these firearms, and even the jamming of the weapon during semi-automatic and automatic firing. Present breech-loading firearms are much simpler and less costly in design than their predecessors, but they still contain many of the same defects because of their inherent design
Of perhaps greatest interest to the present invention is U.S Pat. No. 4,440,063 which discloses a firing device utilizing the kinetic energy of a gas operated gun to generate, store and discharge voltage to fire electrically primed ammunition. The device uses rearward movement of coils relative to magnets to charge a capacitor, and then discharges the capacitor to fire the firearm. It does not utilize gas pressure to move the magnets, nor does it disclose a forward recoil, nor the use of magnets to dampen the recoil of the firearm and to return the portion of the weapon which has recoiled to its original position. To the extent that it utilizes a magazine, the magazine is spring operated.
Other prior art which discloses electrically fired firearms include U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,629 which shows the use of a magnet to replace the coil spring behind the firing pin, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,828 which shows the use of capacitors to deliver a high voltage to heat the powder in a conventional projectile to ignition temperature.
It is thus seen that it would be desirable to have an electrically fired firearm which utilizes cartridgeless ammunition and eliminates the need for extractor and ejection ports on the firearm, which does not utilize gas pressure to move the electric generating coils, which eliminates the need for springs throughout the firearm, which utilizes a forward recoil feature, which uses magnets to generate voltage and to dampen and reduce the recoil of the firearm and by thus reducing recoil improves accuracy, which uses opposing magnets to replace springs in the magazine, which is simple in design and manufacture, and which is lighter in total weight than conventional firearms.